Vance-Walz Vice President Debate: How to watch, what to know before tonight

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance are scheduled to hold their only scheduled vice presidential debate on Tuesday.

The pair will face each other just weeks after former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris sparred during a presidential debate on ABC News.

The vice presidential debate is a chance for both Walz and Vance to showcase their political skills, present their presidential candidates’ plans and introduce themselves to Americans after months spent crisscrossing the country on the campaign trail.

Here’s what you need to know about the debate and how to take part in it.

How to watch the debate

The vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News will take place on Tuesday, October 1 at 9 p.m. ET in New York.

The 90-minute debate will air on CBS, be broadcast on the ABC network and broadcast live on ABC News Live.

ABC’s pre-debate coverage begins at 8 p.m. EST; ABC News’ post-debate coverage will continue until 11 p.m. EST.

ABC News Live, ABC News’ 24-hour news channel, providing full coverage from 7:00 p.m. EST to 12:00 p.m. ET.

Who moderates the VP debate?

The debate will be moderated by “CBS Evening News” anchor and editor-in-chief Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” moderator and CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.

Rules of the vice-presidents’ debate

On Friday, CBS News announced the rules for the debate.

The Walz-Vance debate, like the Harris-Trump debate, will take place in a studio without an audience, but unlike that debate, the candidates’ microphones will not be routinely muted when it is not their turn to speak, but moderators will retain the ability to do so.

How do candidates prepare?

To prepare for the debate, Vance enlisted the help of Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer to help him with debate rehearsals and play Walz, sources told ABC News. The Ohio senator also held sessions with his team and Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign.

Additionally, according to a source familiar with the senator’s debate preparations, Vance has spent the last month reviewing plans, strategies and potential questions.

Walz also held several mock debates with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was filling in for Vance, sources told ABC News. Walz also held policy sessions with his longtime colleagues, Biden White House alums and members of the Harris-Walz campaign team.

Sources say Walz also practiced on the road during the campaign.